If you’ve ever moved from the Midwest or the South to either coast, you realize just how different the costs of day-to-day living can vary among various U.S. cities. Many transplanted families pursue cross-country moves with the knowledge that their new hometowns will be more expensive. And many employers recognize that impending cost-of-living increase with a “cost-of-living allowance” — a slight raise in salary so that an employee may maintain his or her current standard of living without having to tighten the purse strings upon arrival.

Your grocery bill suddenly increases dramatically … and yet you haven’t bought anything out of the ordinary from your usual fare. You can spot disparities in the simplest of items. A six-pack of soda, for example, might cost $1.50 in the South, or perhaps $.99 during an occasional sale. That same six-pack can cost you as much as $3.50 or more in major East Coast cities such as New York or Boston. Your favorite fast-food haunt in Chicago might charge you $3.59 for a burger that costs you $4.59 in Seattle.

So many individuals and families on the move never stop to consider what the cumulative effect of these cost-of-living increases will be on their overall standard of living.You can, however, do a little preliminary homework and determine what your living expenses are likely to be in your new hometown — and how much higher or lower they’ll be than your current ones. Of course, you can head to the library or bookstore and explore titles on the subject, but the Web is probably your fastest and most convenient resource. Many sites are dedicated in part or in full to this subject.

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